149 | Hiring and Managing Sales Rep Series 3 of 3 With Gene Hammett
Join us for our final episode in a 3 part series of Hiring and Managing a Sales Rep! We’ll dig into the process of hiring and firing in this one too. Reflecting back on this series, episode 147 with Mark Jamnick focused on how to motivate your team for heightened performance, while episode 148 with Joe Kouffman focused on hiring traits you should look for. This episode builds upon the series and expands into how to fire a sales rep too. Listen in to get the full scoop on why you MUST take your time on this one!
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Gene’s Target Audience: Gene works with entrepreneurs who want to find the perfect match between their unique value and the people who will become their best clients and biggest fans.
You want to hire the best person you can. But before we get to that, are you ready to hire someone? Here are some questions and aspects you want to have in place before you jump right into this one.
- Do you have solid systems behind your sales process? Would someone be able to mimic what you do?
- Do you have something that you can offer that they can sell right away? An example might be an audit, checklist, strategy session, or event.
- Is your pipeline full? Don’t scale this one out with a sales rep!
- Do you have the money to invest in the right people?
Once you’ve got those pieces together, you’re ready to step (slowly) into the hiring process. Do you have a profile of the person: their years of experience, background, target market they’re interested in/staying in; their personality (what are you looking for as far as personality goes?); is it a culture fit?
Remember, it’s better to hire right the first time than invest in someone and have it turn out to be not so right. This is a big decision you really don’t want to take lightly. I ran 2 multi-billion companies by age 40. At one time, I had 15 employees and 5 sales reps. My experiences have provided me with the knowledge of putting together functional systems. So my guidance is not based on theory but drawn from my experience.
INTERVIEWS
It is better to have interviewed “back to back” style- in a series. It makes it easy for you to compare in that way. This also gives you the ability to continuously filter out people who are not a good fit. DO NOT rush this. Also, have your questions ready beforehand. Set up the intention to get the same info from everyone so you can rightly compare. You may even want to invite them to a special event you are having to see how they interact with others. And then there’s always some background research you can do by checking platforms like Linkedin.
Decide if you want to use an assessment test (see episode 147 for assessment tools in the “resources” section). The Kolby assessment is one example. Assessments are great because they allow you to measure how people think and behave.
Managing Employees:
Your intention to hire someone is not just for the added help but because you want a strong ROI. Remember, you can always train skills, but you cannot train personality and culture. Also, if you bring someone in for sales, they should be 100% focused on sales (not wearing multiple hats).
Is your system documented? You can do this inexpensively by creating a series of training videos. I use ScreenFlow ($99 program) which you can export to your team. A video allows you to plan out the training step by step and is available for them to turn to anytime they want.
Clarity
Do you have a clear direction on what you want your sales reps to be doing day to day and week to week. Is it clear to them?
Take inventory (have a “stand up” meeting) every day by asking your team the following (one-one or in a group):
- What have you accomplished?
- What did you hope to accomplish?
- What did you fail at it?
You will learn a lot about where they’re thriving or failing. The sales reps could also learn from each other if these meetings are held in a group format.
Have your Weekly Pipeline Review:
This necessary when you have a team. It is best when you have stages in the pipeline. For example, signed deals; verbal deals; final pitch/meeting; proposal submitted/request; discovery meeting; interest meetings. Of course, this is individual to you and your business. Ask yourself, how can you step up to your game to support them better? Weekly meetings are huge in getting your team to run effectively. Give them a chance to explore. if they are not successful, they will lose motivation and passion.
Seek out SUPER STAR SALES REPS. Don’t just hire anyone- but someone who will CHALLENGE you and raise the bar. They should inspire you. The right person is willing to fail- they’ve got that courage
In this episode we’ll cover:
- What to ask yourself before the hiring process
- What you should have in place before you hire
- Why you want to execute this process SLOWLY
- How to seek out Super Star Sales Reps
- How to set up your Interview Process
- The importance of Stand Up Meetings
- The importance of Pipeline Reviews
Resources and Links
- Reach out to Gene for your biz concerns
- Join Momentum Mondays
- Join Mastery
- Ready to take the STAGE? Get more info here!
- Leave a review on itunes
- Share the LOVE and TWEET about this episode.
Connect with Gene on LinkedIn or Twitter @genehammett.
Do you have questions about today’s episode!?
Did you know that you can apply to chat with me by phone? This is a limited time offer to help anyone that is serious about refining their business as well as developing a clear & compelling strategy that will drive them forward. Complete the questions and our team will follow up with you to schedule time for your “Business Breakthrough Session”. These are limited to 30 minutes, completely free and oh, so valuable. Apply Now!
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